2010 Edition

The principle operators in the warehouse club industry are BJ’s Wholesale, Cost-U-Less, Costco Wholesale, PriceSmart and Sam’s Club. These five companies follow the basic warehouse club principles developed by Sol and Robert Price, who founded the warehouse club industry when they opened the first Price Club in San Diego, California in 1976. However, the five warehouse club operators have adapted those basic concepts to today’s retail environment. This white paper provides an explanation of the key characteristics of a warehouse club in 2010.